Flyings Cars Are Coming Sooner Than You Think

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Aeromobil

In a lot of ways, the technological achievements of recent history are incredible. In many ways, they’re pretty lame. Sure, we can do remarkable things with our mobile phones, and social networks tie us together in a way that seemed unfathomable 20 years ago. But as anyone who was a science fiction fan (or just watched The Jetsons) in the 1980s knows, by the year 2014 we were supposed to have robot maids and personal jetpacks.

Well, robot maids may still be a little ways off (if you exclude the Roomba), but flying cars may not be such a pipe dream. A Slovak startup just revealed the Aeromobil 3.0 prototype. The Aeromobil is a 2-seat vehicle powered by a Rotax 912 engine that transforms from a car to a plane in seconds thanks to collapsible wings. As a car, it reaches speedsup to 100 miles per hour on regular roads and fits into a standard parking spot. As a plane, it has a range of over 400 miles and requires just a few hundred meters of runway to take off.

The Aeromobil began regular flight testing in October and is close to being available commercially. However, certification is still a ways away and will vary by country. While you’re waiting for those regulatory hurdles, you might want to get your pilot’s license. Because you know you’re going to want one of these as soon as they’re available.